Newford Farm Beef Yearlings & Suckler Calves Update

Michael Fagan, technician to the Newford Farm gives an update on the Newford suckler calves and the Newford yearling bullocks and heifers

The majority of Newford suckler cows and calves were turned out to grass on the 20^th of March and have stayed out at grass due to the excellent weather since then.

The calves are 7 weeks at grass now and they have also received their booster clostridial vaccination. All the calves are from 5* terminal sires.

Selecting these terminal sires is a very important job as the progeny of these animals will be finished on the farm. So it is critically important that the calves are easy calved, have good growth rates, perform well at grass, have good shape and confirmation along with a good  kill out percentage

All the bull calves will be castrated at the end of July and the aim is to sell them @ 21 / 22 Mts of age and the heifers will be sold @ 19 / 20 Mts

The Yearlings

All the yearlings were housed during the winter for 134 days. They received  2 kg of 18% protein concentrates per day for roughly 100 days over the winter period along with good quality silage

The bullocks were turnout to grass on the 22^nd of March @ 437 Kgs. An ADG of 0.84 kg per day over the 46 days since turnout has been achieced.

The heifers were housed @ 336 Kgs and gained 80 Kgs over the winter period and achieved ADG of 0.60 Kg per day. By mid-August Newford Farm will be aiming to have a large portion of these 60 heifers sold off grass.

Like this year suckler calves the plan is too sell the bullocks @ 21 / 22 Mts of age at a carcass weight of roughly of 380 Kg and the heifers will be sold @ 19 / 20 Mts @ a carcass weight of roughly 310 Kgs